Srinagar: Kashmir once again witnessed almost a total boycott of elections held in the valley. But this seems to be the first such boycott being very civil and peaceful. The authorities received not a single election related violence during the fourth and final phase Urban Local Bodies elections today.

But for the media, it was a bit different story with the police barring journalists and TV crews from entering the premises of election station premises at many places despite being given valid authority letters issued by the Election Commission.

The polling today recorded at the end with a dismal 4 percent voter turnout. The same was witnessed with a low voting turnout in the last three phases with six percent in the first and 3 percent each in the second and third phases of elections.

Local Body Elections

“No election has been so peaceful as this election in Kashmir. We are not concerned about the voting percentage. For us what matters is that polling was completely peaceful. Even boycott was civil,” a senior police officer said.

But the police were outright in their denial of any restriction being imposed onto the media from entering polling elections.

“It may have been done at local-level by some cops. But after your report in the morning we have issued instructions to all formations that media should be allowed to go wherever they want to visit. We have nothing to hide,” Swayam Praksh Pani, Inspector General of Police, said.

The elections in Kashmir for the local body was held after a total gap of 13 years of tension and unrest which saw about eight times more security personnel than the total number of votes cast. The centre roped in 400 companies or about 40,000 personnel of paramilitary forces to assist the already heavy security set up in Kashmir.

And the special thing about the elections was that the mainstream regional parties too boycotted the polling this year despite the fact that they always ruled the state. Boycotting parties wanted the centre to take firm decision over the stance of safeguarding Kashmir’s special status which has been challenged before the Supreme Court.

Before the elections, there was fear of violence among the authorities, but surprisingly, the elections turned out to be remarkably peaceful one. The authorities received not a single report of anti-poll protests, stone-throwing incidents or terrorist attacks related to the elections.

There was a news report of two National Conference workers in Srinagar of being killed but they were not at all linked to the elections because the party did not take part in the elections.

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